The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and Jafza, a DP World company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the healthcare and pharmaceutical field in the nation.

The Memorandum was authorized at Jafza head office by Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Under Assistant of Public Health and Licensing Plan at the Ministry of Health and Protection and Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO Jafza and Senior Vice President and General Manager of DP World, UAE Region. Senior Ministry and Jafza officials were also present.

Under the arrangement, Jafza will create information for the licensing of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities within the Free Zone and assist them promote public health. The Ministry will certainly approve licenses for existing factories based upon the industrial license issued by Jafza, despite the citizenship of their owners. Factories should register their products and state whether they are for export or circulation. For use in the UAE firms have to acquire a medical stockroom certificate. Both organisations will exchange knowledge and get rid of any type of obstacles to the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the Free Zone. They will likewise assess the process of acquiring authorizations and allows from the Ministry, allowing Jafza to bring in more foreign investment in the industry. The agreement belongs to Jafza's efforts to improve the health care sector by giving the setting for firms to expand and establish 'Made in Dubai' pharmaceutical products, using Jebel Ali's facilities to gain access to regional and international markets.

DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, claimed: "This is a major advance in efforts to raise the competition of the pharmaceutical industry in the country. It is just one of the key markets of the Dubai Industrial Strategy released by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It is additionally a key part of the Dubai 2021 Plan, aimed at transforming Dubai into a regional center for clinical tourist as the country plans for the post-oil age. The best goal is to produce high quality medications and medical care products in Dubai equivalent to those around the globe with our focus on improving investment in research and development, and drawing in qualified professionals."

Dr. Amin Al Amiri claimed the agreement builds on collaboration between government and local government organizations to advertise a legislative and financial investment atmosphere in keeping with worldwide ideal technique. The UAE aims to come to be a global center for worldwide pharmaceutical firms and to encourage them to set up manufacturing facilities below. There are 54 global pharmaceutical companies already existing in the freezone which is anticipated to rise to over 75 by 2021, with financial investments of approximately AED 2 billion yearly. He added that the Ministry is keen to partner with worldwide business to develop research centers for the production of innovative and common medications together with local manufacturing facilities. The strategy is to safeguard clinical supplies and offer medicines for individuals, particularly those experiencing chronic conditions in addition to ensure the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply chain and capacity of the clinical field.

In 2016, the marketplace worth of medicines in the UAE totaled up to AED 9.61 billion. By 2020, spending on medication is expected to get to AED 13.13 billion and by 2025 AED 21.74 billion, driven by populace growth, transforming morbidity and the use of modern medicines such as biotechnology medicines. The UAE currently has 17 pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities with 34 expected by 2021. The Ministry supports them in establishing calculated collaborations with worldwide manufacturers to produce innovative medicines and has 5 such agreements in position. The total medicine market in UAE reached AED 9.61 Billion in 2016, according to a current report by Business Monitor International. It forecasts that the medical tools market between East and North Africa will expand 8.8% year-on-year from 2015-2020, opening opportunities for health care and pharmaceutical firms.

Multinational firms in the healthcare and pharmaceutical market are presently based in Jafza, such as Johnson & Johnson, Colgate, Roche, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline and Quest Vitamins.